Table-leg



(ModeL) A. E. THAYER.

TABLE LEG.

Patented Aug. 2, 1887.

2 e I a WITNESSES (5 061 I I QWDL 1 ml Q UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIcE.

AUSTIN ELBRIDGE THAYER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

TABLE-LEG.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent. No. 367,683, dated August2, 1887. Application filed August '28, 1886. Serial No. M13341. (ModemTo all whom it may concern:

Be itknown that I, AUsTIN ELBRIDGE THAY- ER, of Philadelphia, in thecounty of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Table- Legs; and I do hereby declare thatthe following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,which form a part of this specification, and in whicl1 Figure 1 is aperspective view of one corner .of a table provided with my improvedknockdown leg, and Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the leg.

In the manufacture of certain kinds of 'fur-* niturc as tables, desks,some kind is supported upon legs it has been the desire of manufacturersfor years to make a leg that could be removed from the body for thepurposes of shipping, storage, &c., and be again replaced withoutweakening the construction. A great many socalled knockdown legs havebeen put upon the market from time to time, but only with partialsuccess, as the devices used for securing the parts of the leg togetherhave proved defective or too expensive or complicated for generaladoption.

This invention relates to that class of legs; and it consists intheimproved construction and combination of parts whereby the leg isquickly and cheaply made, easily removed, and rigidly held in place whenput together, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which the same letters ofreference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures, A representsthe top portionof the leg, which is also the corner-post of the frameupon which the table-top is secured, and which is provided with acylindrical recess or socket, B, in its lower end, and with ascrew-threaded aperture, C, in one side, leading into said socket. Thispost or top portion of the leg can be made of wood or metal, and of anydesired shape or size, and be secured to the table top or frame in anydesired manner; but I prefer to make it of a rectangular block of woodand to chamfer its inner corner, as shown at D, and to place theaperture 0 in this chamfered &G.--Wh(3le abody of bears against the sideof portion. It can be further provided with the ordinary channels orgrooves, E E, in two of its faces, or other equivalent means forsecuring the ends of the frame-pieces to it.

The lower part of the leg F, or leg proper, is made of any desiredpattern; but the top is provided with a dowel, G, of such a size as tofit snugly within the socket B, with the shoulder II on the top of theleg, formed by the dowel, resting against the bottom of the post or topport-ion, A. The dowel G is held in place in the socket B by means of awooden set-screw, I, in thescrew-threaded aperture or perforation O, theouter end of which is provided with a short cross-arm, J, by means: ofwhich a firm grip can be taken by the operator, and the inner end of thescrew is fiat and the dowel and forces it against the opposite side ofthe socket, thus securing a broad and firm support on both sides. Byhaving the inner corner of the post ehamfered, and having the apertureClocated in that portion, a neater leg is secured, and the screw I ismade to project diagonally from the side pieces of the frame, whichgives plenty of room for operating it in removing or re placing it. i

It has been efforts to secure a tenon or by means of a screw passingthrough an aperture of a larger diameter than the screw and having itssides smooth and securing the end of the screw. in the body of the tenonhave proved failures, for the reason that, in large tables especially,the leverage of the leg in moving them from one place to another sooncauses the thread of the screw to partly break the fiber of the wood,and thus permit the leg to become loose, as the support of the dowel ortenon is all upon one side, and that the side where the screw enters it.To tighten it again, it is necessary to give the screw a turn, whichbrings the threads against the partly-broken fibers; but the same causethat loosened it when the fibers were unbroken will loosen it again bybreaking them still more, until finally they are broken off entirely andthe screw will not hold the leg in place at all. This plan alsonecessitates the placing the leg always in the same position that is,with the holes registering; but even then, if the screw enters found byexperience that all dowel in a socket the wood differently from what itwas in be fore, the threads will destroy the fiber of the wood andruinits usefulness, and if other holes are bored in the tenon after thefirst oneshave been destroyed they will soon weaken the dowel, so as tocause it to be broken off, and

thus destroy it in that way; but by the use of my improvement the dowelcan be placed in the socket in any position, and if it becomes loosenedfrom shrinkage or use a slight turn of the screw secures it as firmly inplace as ever, and by having the end of the screw hearing against thedowel a larger screw can be used, thus givinga larger bearing-surface,and also permits of larger threads being cut on it, which gives a firmerhold in the post, as is requisite in wooden screws, and it also preventsthe mutilation of the dowel,which would prevent the easy removal andreplacement of seams the dowel in the socket. A wooden screw 20 alsoavoids the possibility of rust, which would result with an iron screw.

Having thus described my invention, I claim In a knockdown table-leg, atop portion 2 having a socket in its lower end and a screwthreaded'aperture leading into said socket, a leg the upper end of which isprovided with a dowel, a wooden screw the inner end of which is flat,and a crossarm in its outer end. 0

In testimony that I claim the foregoing asiniy own I have hereuntoaffixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

AUSTIN ELBRTDG E THAYER.

Wit nesscs:

JOHN D. BEATTY, R. DALE SPARHACWK.

